DC has been a hot mess of a pressure cooker over the last several months. In addition to the general grumpiness of summer ending, it rained for what felt like eternity, and the simmering rage of most women surrounding the Supreme Court nomination insanity came to a full boil. I have been relentlessly pissed off and sad.
All of that is a lead in to a recipe post to say that our eating has been all over the place. I know that eating super clean, getting 8 hours of sleep a night, and sticking to a strict work out schedule would make me so much more capable to cope with the pile of s*it raining down right now. Instead I've been snacking on sourdough bread, drinking lots of wine, topping it off with a sweet treat, and then repeatedly cursing myself for it all as I exercise the following day (at least I've been consistently exercising -- I need to channel that rage somewhere!).
In an effort to try and make at least dinner easier, I've been making more casseroles and one-pan meals than usual -- not always Paleo, but still healthy. Most of our evenings have been jam-packed with homework and extracurricular activities, so dinners like this BBQ Chicken Casserole have been my go-to to keep everyone fed and happy. It's sort of like a BBQ chicken pizza in a dish and it is super kid-friendly while also still healthy.
I'm hoping to do a Whole30'ish stint between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Until then, I'm just trying to keep it together, people.
Paleo BBQ Chicken Casserole
(slightly adapted from Jay's Baking Me Crazy)
Ingredients:
- 1 large spaghetti squash, cooked + shredded
- 1 lb bacon, divided (sugar free)
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups Paleo BBQ sauce
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 large eggs
- cilantro and avocado for garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400° and spray a 13 X 9 baking dish with olive oil.
2. Placed cooked spaghetti squash in a large bowl and pat dry with paper towel.
3. Cut bacon into thin strips and place in a large skillet.
4. Cook on medium/high until crispy. Remove half of bacon onto a plate and add onion and chicken to remaining bacon. Cook until onion is tender and chicken is cooked through.
5. Add chicken mixture to the spaghetti squash and then add the barbecue sauce -- start with 1 1/2 cups and add more if needed. Add the pepper, salt to taste, and garlic powder. Stir until everything is mixed well.
6. Add the eggs and stir completely.
7. Place mixture into prepared pan, top with remaining bacon and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, garnish with cilantro and avocado.
* * *
Day 1 (Sun) -- Beef Enchilada Bake with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce
Day 2 (M) -- brinner
Day 3 (T) -- Greek Lamb Kabobs; green beans
Day 4 (W) -- Greek Lemon Chicken Kebabs; salad; sweet potato fries
Day 5 (Th) -- grilled salmon packets with fresh dill; oven potatoes; carrot + zucchini "noodles"
Day 6 (F) -- Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef; cauliflower rice; salad
Day 7 (Sat) -- grilled strip steak; oven baked fries; sautéed green beans
Day 8 (Sun) -- dinner out
Day 10 (T) -- brinner
Day 11 (W) -- Moroccan Meatballs; cauliflower gnocchi; roasted broccoli
Day 12 (Th) -- Healing Paleo Chicken Soup
Day 13 (F) -- Braised Pork Chops over Cauliflower Cream; sautéed grean beans + tomatoes
Day 14 (Sat) -- dinner out
Day 15 (Sun) -- Paleo Taco Skillet (I used ground turkey breast)
Day 16 (M) -- All American Chili; salad
Day 17 (T) -- leftovers
Day 18 (W) -- brinner
Day 19 (Th) -- Chicken Tinga Tacos; green beans
Day 20 (F) -- Grilled Flank Steak with Rosemary; salad; sweet potato fries
Day 21 (Sat) -- brinner: Skillet Brussels Sprouts with Turkey Bacon + Honey Balsamic Glaze; egg and smoked salmon scramble; fruit salad; breakfast potatoes
Day 22 (Sun) -- dinner out
Day 23 (M) -- BTS meal: Filet Mignon Oscar Style; old bay french fries; asparagus
Day 24 (T) -- leftovers
Day 25 (W) -- leftovers
Day 26 (Th) -- Grilled Chicken with Spice Rub; sweet potato fries; broccoli
Day 27 (F) -- Trader Joe's Carnitas; carrot + zucchini "noodles"
Day 28 (Sat) -- dinner out
Day 29 (Sun) -- Spicy Honey Salmon in Foil; sweet potato fries; sautéed kale
Day 30 (M) -- Beef + Broccoli Stir Fry; cauliflower rice
Day 31 (T) -- brinner
Day 32 (W) -- Simple Cod Piccata; baked potato; roasted carrots
Day 33 (Th) -- dinner out
Day 34 (F) -- Paleo Taco Skillet; sweet potato fries
Day 35 (Sat) -- dinner out
Day 36 (Sun) -- dinner out
Day 38 (T) -- brinner
Day 39 (W) -- leftovers
Day 40 (Th) -- Healthy Baked Pesto Rigatoni; kale caesar salad
Day 41 (F) -- dinner out
Day 42 (Sat) -- dinner out
Day 43 (Sun) -- Healing Paleo Chicken Soup; salad
Day 44 (M) -- honey dijon grilled salmon, mashed potatoes; roasted green beans
Day 45 (T) -- Joel's requested birthday dinner: Oven Baked Chicken Parm; cauliflower gnocchi; salad; FROZEN PEANUT BUTTER CUP PIE (GAAAAHHH, so good).
